At first Signy couldn’t identify what was inside. Small objects were set in carved wooden niches, and a haze of colored dust was over everything. She picked up one of the larger objects and rubbed it against her shirtsleeve to clean off the thick dust. She found herself holding a squat, intricately carved figurine of a human about four inches tall.
Ramsay gasped. “It’s a chess set!” He took out a different piece and brushed it off the same way she had. “You have one of the queens, I think. This is probably a king. Dear God, these are amazing! Each one is unique.”
“They seem to be carved from bone or perhaps walrus ivory.” Signy studied the chess pieces, which had been so lovingly created and secured centuries before. “If the grave goods reflect what the deceased wants in the afterlife, this man was clearly a chess player. Isn’t it called the game of kings?”
Ramsay nodded. “Yes, and this is a set fit for a king.” With a mischievous smile, he took the queen piece from Signy’s hand. “I’ve captured the queen!”
Signy let her gaze travel down Ramsay’s body, halting on his breeches. “And later I shall most thoroughly capture your king.”
He laughed. “You are becoming delightfully improper, my lady. I like it.” He set the chess pieces back in the box. “This needs to be moved to Skellig House immediately. Not only is it a historic treasure but it would be very valuable on the antiquities market.”
“Exactly the sort of find we don’t want people to know about,” Signy agreed. “I have a canvas bag here that you can carry the set in.” She’d brought the bag in case they found something that needed to be moved to the house and locked up safely. She replaced the pieces they’d taken out, put the lid back on the box, and packed it carefully in the bag. “On your way home now?”
“I’ll drop the chess set off there, then I have to go into Clanwick. I stopped by here to see if you’d found anything interesting, and if you wanted a break.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
She laughed, loving this playful side of him. “Later. I’ll see you at dinner.”
“Till then.” He gave her a thorough kiss that left them both breathless, then slung the bag over his shoulder and headed back along the beach with his long strides. He moved beautifully, and she would never tire of watching him.
Then he was out of sight, and the two excavators returned from lunch, chatting happily. She sat down to start a rough sketch of the chess set, letting her mind drift ahead to the time she’d spend with Kai later. And to how she would capture his king!
Chapter 30
Ramsay stopped at Skellig House and put the chess set in a storeroom with a large strong lock. He wished he could spend the rest of the afternoon cleaning up the chess pieces to reveal the stunning detail, preferably with Signy sitting across the table doing the same thing. He loved that she now shared his passion for antiquities.
Instead he rode on to Clanwick, making a mental list of all that must be done. The bank first, then Fergus to sign legal papers, then a stop at Olson’s Bookshop to see if any of the art supplies on order had come in.
He’d taken care of the first two items on his list when he decided to make a short visit to the harbor. He never tired of watching the ships. If Broc were here, they could go sit on their bench. He wondered when Broc would be back, and whether he’d persuaded the lady artist to visit Thorsay. Enough time had passed that Broc could have made it to London and back.
As he approached the walkway that ran around the harbor, he was surprised to see two familiar figures ahead of him, standing still as they watched the harbor. Cousins Axel and Annabel were talking in low, intense voices.
He was too close to pretend not to have seen them, so he called, “Good day, Cousins! It’s a fine day for watching boats.”
They both started before turning to greet him. Annabel looked fashionable but upset, as if she’d been crying, and Axel looked even more sullen than usual.
“Good day, Kai,” Annabel said politely. “I’m sorry we’ve seen so little of you since your return.”
“I’ve been traveling around the islands and reacquainting myself with the places and people,” he explained. “Soon I’ll be in Clanwick more often.”
“I heard you’ve also been finding buried treasure in a long-lost Viking village,” Axel said, his eyes sharp.
Ramsay laughed. “I see that the rumor mill is alive and well. Yes, that last great storm washed away a piece of coastline and revealed several very old stone huts. No treasure to be found there, unless one likes studying the past, which I do.”
“Is it from Viking times?” Axel asked.
Ramsay disliked lying, and since the rumors were out there, he should take this chance to clarify what they were studying. “The stone huts are much, much older than that. I can’t even guess how old. We also found what seems to be the wreckage of a Viking ship. It was uncovered by the same storm, but it’s so fragile that a cross word might make it collapse into splinters.”
“Do other parts of the world have as many ancient ruins as Thorsay?” Annabel asked with apparent interest.
“Not that I’ve seen, though there are places in Asia Minor that come close,” Ramsay said. His gaze was caught by the sight of a ship slowly entering the harbor. “Excuse me, my shipFreyais coming up to the docks. I’ve been wondering when she’d return.”
“How many ships does your estate own?” Axel asked with interest.
“Three. Two are fishing boats,” Ramsay replied. “TheFreyamostly carries freight around Scotland and northern England.”
“She’s a sweet little yawl,” Axel said with critical appreciation.
Ramsay was surprised that Axel paid that much attention to boats. He didn’t seem interested in much of anything else.
